Inside A Name

All living and non-living beings, places and things have a name. It’s so ordinary that perhaps you haven’t thought much about what goes into a name, unless
you have a had the personal privilege to name someone or thing.

What's interesting about a name is that there is a whole depth of meaning hidden within. In addition to the name’s meaning and all the stories the name
carries, it also carries a specific vibration. All sound carries vibration and thus the chosen letters will have a tonality that in and
of themselves, express something that is viscerally felt by a person forming the name with her /vocal cords and mouth and by the person hearing the
sound with her ears and beyond that, through her heart and cells of the body. Vibration of sound penetrates into every layer of the whole body. This
is why chanting and signing the names of various gods and goddess or positive affirmations (like we do in kirtan) is incredibly heart opening and warming.

My birth/given name is Corinne Stacy Levine. My given Hebrew name is Chayka (meaning Life) Sivia, which comes from my mother’s two grandmothers.
Levine was created from my fathers family name Leboshevitz when my father and his parents immigrated through Ellis Island after surviving the Holocaust.
These English and Hebrew names carry my ancestry, my roots and my childhood in a profound way, deep within the blood coursing through my veins.
The people I come from and their history travels within the sound of these names. In addition, I also have many different nicknames from
various eras in my life. Each nickname carries the people and the memories of that time on its breath.

My Sanskrit nameis Aradhana, meaning worship or prayer and it was given to me by my first spiritual teacher Baba Hari Das.
This name carries the depth of my heart and soul and the essence of what I infuse my work in this world with. I was once told that when a guru gives
a spiritual name, the name carries both your greatest struggle and your greatest gift to the world.

We named our family dog Asha, which means Hope in Sanskrit and Life in Swahili. Her very presence carries the meaning of the name and every
time we call to her, the tonality of her name carries the vibration and reminder of hope and life that she brought (and still brings) into our lives
during a very hard time.

My beloved children received names from our spiritual teacher, Julie of Light Omega. Arin David, bringer of Light and Irina Sophia, bringer
of Peace. The commonality in their names, relates their souls purposes of being siblings in the world together. They have a tendency towards arguing
with one another and yet their names carry the deeper expression of who they are in essence and what they each bring to themselves and others when
they are centered in truth. Arin's name is pronounced with "AHHH-rin" and AHH carries the sound of the heart chakra. Irina's name is pronounced
"EEEAR - INA and the EEE carries the sound of the crown chakra.

Then, there is the name of one of my businesses, Birthing Mama. The name Birthing Mama originally came through my husband, as he was supporting
me in finding a name for my local prenatal and postnatal yoga classes upon going out to teach in the community, rather than through the hospital. I
then felt called to use the name Birthing Mama for my ONLINE Prenatal Yoga and Wellness Program. The name
held an offering for women to experience pregnancy as a sacred path of transformation – Grow your Baby, Grow your SELF.

Just as evolution keeps on moving forward, a name may start off as something and become much more as it takes on its own embodiment. Today,
Birthing Mama carries the ancient rhythm that can speak to women all over the globe. It is the drumbeat and the whisper that calls women to rise up
and reclaim what is sacred, what is true and what is love. It’s the call of the intricate matrix of the Divine Mother that is rising up into our bodies
from the earth and asking men, women and children to reclaim, retreat and rise into what is sacred, true and loving. Birthing Mama holds the
essence of a new evolving earth, carrying the wisdom of the Divine Mother. An evolved earth where we respond to one another through devotional love
rather than react to one another with fear and self-protection.

Now that you’ve heard some of my story, what is yours?

What does your birth name mean to you? What are the stories that all the names in your life carry for you? Take time to reflect and journal about the meaning
behind all the different names in your life. Story telling through writing is a beautiful way to discover meaning and reflect on the layers beyond
the surface.

And for those of you who feel called to change your name to one that fits your essence more deeply, or those of you who are in the process of finding a
name for the new baby growing within your womb, or your latest business idea…here’s a little something for you to try.

TRY THIS:

Sit in a place that is beautiful and inspires you – perhaps a meditation altar, a favorite room in your home, your yoga center or a spot out in nature.

Focus on your breath – the simplicity of inhaling and exhaling. Allow each breath to grow longer, slower and deeper naturally, without force.

Hold the nameless being energetically in the middle of your heart, let your heart rest into the cradle of your lungs and open yourself, through focusing
on your breath, to feel the essence of who or what you are trying to name.

Remain focused on breath and the essence of what you are trying to name. You can also hold the essence of the handful of names that your mind has been
spinning through for weeks. Notice any impressions that arise. Notice any sounds, colors or words that come to you. Let go of figuring it out or needing
something to happen right away. Just make space inside of you, by breathing deeply and wait.

Wait, breathe, watch, listen and feel what comes to you and trust your intuitions. Remember too that intuition and guidance can come during any random
time throughout the day or night. If a sounds begins to arise from somewhere within your consciousness, allow it to come out of your mouth and
see where the toning takes you.

There are stories within stories behind every name and a vibration that carries a message through the sound of the letters............. Enjoy the
inquiry